Busiest freeway/motorway in Europe

[brisavoine]

I've always been curious about what's the busiest freeway/motorway in Europe. Here are the three busiest streches of freeways In Europe that I know of. Please add other busy streches if you know any. Try to bring references.

1- A4 autoroute at the level of Saint-Maurice in the eastern suburbs of Paris: 257,000 vehicles a day in 2002 (source (http://www.senat.fr/cra/s20021217/s20021217H4.html))
2- A 100 Autobahn (Berliner Stadtring) near the Funkturm in Berlin: 216,000 vehicles a day recorded in 1998 (source (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesautobahn_100))
3- M25 motorway between junctions 13 and 14 in the western suburbs of London: 196,000 vehicles a day in 2003 (source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3558822.stm))

Any other contender?

[Paddington]

I think we have expressways here in Columbus with that kind of traffic. Hehe. :cheers:

[yrkn]

i think the LIE I-495 in nyc should be up there too

[Juan Kerr]

I'd have to say that the M6 in Birmingham / West Midlands would HAVE to be up there among Europe's busiest.

[brisavoine]

I'd have to say that the M6 in Birmingham / West Midlands would HAVE to be up there among Europe's busiest.
Well, according to the BBC article I quoted, the stetch of the M25 mentioned above is the busiest section of motorway in the UK.

[London_2006]

i think the LIE I-495 in nyc should be up there too

Among Europe's busiest?

[Iggybumtastic]

M8 Glasgow -

In 2004 it was announced that a section of the M8 was the 2nd busiest stretch of road in the entire UK, after a section of the M60 motorway (usually a section of the M25 motorway holds the honour of the busiest, but had unusually low traffic figures in 2004 due to roadworks). An average of 173,000 vehicles per day used that stretch of the M8 in 2004.

The Kingston Bridge is a ten lane road bridge crossing the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. The bridge carries the M8 motorway through the city centre. The Kingston Bridge is one of the busiest road bridges in Europe, carrying over 150,000 vehicles every day.

[sojourner truth ™]

PERIPHIQUE

[kaunaz]

MKAD?

[KIWIKAAS]

The A16 van Brienenoord bridge in Rotterdam handles over 200000 vehicles per day on 12 lanes. I wouldnt be surprised if sections of the A16 south of the bridge would be 250000+ v.p.d.

[KIWIKAAS]

3- M25 motorway between junctions 13 and 14 in the western suburbs of London: 196,000 vehicles a day in 2003 (source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3558822.stm))


Thats interesting. The busiest section of motorway in New Zealand (pop.4 million) handles the same daily average volume.

[GNU]

2- A 100 Autobahn (Berliner Stadtring) near the Funkturm in Berlin: 216,000 vehicles a day recorded in 1998

hmm I dont know really.

all I can say is that the Berliner Stadtring is certainly not the buisiest autobahn section in Germany.
the Koelner Ring (cologne), Frankfurt or some sections in the Rhein-Rhur area are surely busier.

In Europe I would say that some parts around Paris must certainly be up there.

[kostya]

I always thought it would be some autobahn somewhere near Koln.

[brisavoine]

PERIPHIQUE
It's hard to find exact data about the Périphérique. From what I could gather online, there are up to 300,000 vehicles a day on the busiest sections of the Périphérique, which would make it Europe's busiest freeway, unless someone can find a busier freeway, but I doubt it.

[GNU]

I always thought it would be some autobahn somewhere near Koln.

Well thats what Im supecting. the Koelner Ring (Cologne Ring) is one of the buisiest sections in Germany.

[empersouf]

The Frankfurter Kreuz????
And what about roads in the Netherlands?

[909]

The Frankfurter Kreuz????
You are right, the FK is the busiest stretch of motorway in Europe:

The Frankfurter Kreuz is an Autobahn interchange in the city of Frankfurt in Hesse, Germany where the autobahns A3 and A5 meet. The interchange was originally to be built from 1931 to 1933, but due to World War II construction was not finished until 1957. It underwent massive remodeling in the 1990s, as it had been frequently overloaded due to excess traffic. Today, both autobahns have ten lanes.

Two tunnels of the Cologne - Frankfurt high-speed railway line have been put below the Kreuz. The Kreuz is situated at the northeastern corner of Frankfurt International Airport.

Along with the airport and the airport's railway station, the Frankfurter Kreuz is commonly seen as a symbol of Frankfurt's good connections to the world.

With 300,000 cars daily it is the most heavily used interchange in Europe, followed by the Kamener Kreuz.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurter_Kreuz

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/chriswevers/FrankfurterKreuz02.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/chriswevers/FrankfurterKreuz.jpg


Second in Europe is the Kamener Kreuz:

The Kamener Kreuz is a cloverleaf interchange between the town of Kamen and the city of Dortmund in Germany where the [[Autobahn|]]s A1 and A2 meet. It was the first interchange between the first two Reichsautobahns, and the first operational cloverleaf interchange in Europe, opened in 1937.

It is the second most densely used interchange in Europe after the Frankfurter Kreuz.

The Kamener Kreuz is currently being renovated and upgraded to three lanes per direction, this requires the demolition of the old A2 bridge and the construction of a new one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamener_Kreuz

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/chriswevers/KamenerKreuz2.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c321/chriswevers/KamenerKreuz.jpg

[empersouf]

And what about the road between Utrecht and Amsterdam. Amsterdam-The Hague or Amsterdam-Almere/Hilversum/Amersfoort. Or the road between Antwerp and Brussels. Or a highway in Paris, like a the road from Val-de-Marne(big suburb) to Paris? Or maybe a road in Milano??

[909]

It's hard to find exact data about the Périphérique. From what I could gather online, there are up to 300,000 vehicles a day on the busiest sections of the Périphérique, which would make it Europe's busiest freeway, unless someone can find a busier freeway, but I doubt it.
It's difficult to compare these kind of figures for a whole freeway. It is better to compare a single part, a stretch of freeway. I have no doubt that the Périphérique is very busy, just like the ring of London, but when it comes to a single part of freeway the Frankfurter Kreuz is the winner in Europe.

It is interesting to see that the Frankfurter Kreuz with a few lanes can handle over 300,000 cars per day, while a intersection in Los Angeles (the El Toro Y (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Toro_'Y')) needs 26 lanes for 350,000 cars a day... European efficiency? ;)

[Minato ku]

It's difficult to compare these kind of figures for a whole freeway. It is better to compare a single part, a stretch of freeway. I have no doubt that the Périphérique is very busy, just like the ring of London, but when it comes to a single part of freeway the Frankfurter Kreuz is the winner in Europe.

It is interesting to see that the Frankfurter Kreuz with a few lanes can handle over 300,000 cars per day, while a intersection in Los Angeles (the El Toro Y (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Toro_'Y')) needs 26 lanes for 350,000 cars a day... European efficiency? ;)

No whole Peripherique It is 1.2 millions car per day.

[empersouf]

^^
But to compare, you need a part of a highway. So only between 2 junctions.
Unless all thos people who drive on the peripherique are going around it completely;)

[909]

No whole Peripherique It is 1.2 millions car per day.
Even if 1.2 million cars use the Peripherique every day, it doesn't say something about the number of cars using a small piece of the Peripherique every day.
As Soufian said it is impossible to compare complete motorways. The only way to compare motorways is to compare a stretch, a single part of the motorway.
The best way to compare is using figures of one single point of a motorway, not the whole motorway.

[Minato ku]

I understood.
but 300 000 cars only beetween 2 junctions
It isn't impossible.

[empersouf]

^^
The Frankfurter Kreuz is showing that;)

[eomer]

It's hard to find exact data about the Périphérique. From what I could gather online, there are up to 300,000 vehicles a day on the busiest sections of the Périphérique, which would make it Europe's busiest freeway, unless someone can find a busier freeway, but I doubt it.
300 k.vehicule a day is very much but the Peripherique is not a motorway or a freeway.

[sojourner truth ™]

It is fully acces-controlled, what more do you need?

[brisavoine]

The German examples given are interchanges, therefore they cannot be counted. It is only normal that you will have more traffic on an interchange, given that two or more freeways meet at that point. Please give only figures for sections of freeways/motorways, not interchanges (or échangeurs, or Kreuze). So far, until new figures are offered, the section of the Berliner Ring near the Funkturm is the busiest in Germany. If you have figures for the busiest section of the Kölner Ring proving that it is busier than the Berliner Ring, bring them.

As for the Périphérique, it handles 1.2 million vehicles in its entire length, but its busiest section still handles up to 300,000 vehicles a day, which would make it the busiest section of freeway/motorway in Europe, unless other figures can be offered.

[Minato ku]

300 k.vehicule a day is very much but the Peripherique is not a motorway or a freeway.

Peripherique is not Motorway but it is a Freeway

Peripherique
http://infos.radars.free.fr/radars/radars75/75-0007d.jpg
http://infos.radars.free.fr/radars/radars75/75-0007a.jpg

L.A Freeway
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/94/Harborfreeway2.jpg

Where is the difference ?

[x-type]

how about italian A4? i tink it is one of the bussiest (if we look whole lenght). alos, it would be interesting to find data about Milano Tangenziale, Roma Tangenziale, Torino Tangenziale...

[sbarn]

Peripherique is not Motorway but it is a Freeway

Peripherique
http://infos.radars.free.fr/radars/radars75/75-0007d.jpg
http://infos.radars.free.fr/radars/radars75/75-0007a.jpg

L.A Freeway
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/94/Harborfreeway2.jpg

Where is the difference ?

^^ Thats kind of a stretch... few freeway networks in the world match LAs, for better or worse.

http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/9246/141103641exmbxqfs4nj.jpg

http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/1082/74416560dlnquffs8tx.jpg

http://img487.imageshack.us/img487/2346/429729960gs.jpg

http://img455.imageshack.us/img455/9569/trafficjam15qe.jpg

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/5950/trafficjam23qc.jpg

Thankfully, you all in Europe have extensive public transportation so such infrastructure is not needed! Cheers!

[Juan Kerr]

LA freeways kick ass!

[sojourner truth ™]

It wasn't comparing the Periphique and LA freeways, it was saying that the Periphique is a freeway, even if a few turns are a bit too sharp to go up to spec with freeway standards. (Not that it matters, it's a slow feeway anyway)

[Bikkel]

Kennedytunnel in Antwerp would be a contender :dunno:

[brisavoine]

It wasn't comparing the Periphique and LA freeways, it was saying that the Periphique is a freeway, even if a few turns are a bit too sharp to go up to spec with freeway standards. (Not that it matters, it's a slow feeway anyway)
Some LA freeways have sharp turn too anyway. Try to drive the Pasadena freeway for example.

[KIWIKAAS]

Kennedytunnel in Antwerp would be a contender :dunno:

Dont think so

[m@rco]

Even if 1.2 million cars use the Peripherique every day, it doesn't say something about the number of cars using a small piece of the Peripherique every day.
As Soufian said it is impossible to compare complete motorways. The only way to compare motorways is to compare a stretch, a single part of the motorway.
The best way to compare is using figures of one single point of a motorway, not the whole motorway.
Even if it's fully stupid, we can try to make an average:
1.2 Million/vehicules/day for 35.04 km => 32.246 vehicules/day/km
Mean distance travelled: 7 km
=> 239.726 vehicules a day.
So it's easily possible to reach the 300.000 vehicules a day.

[Manuel]

the average daily traffic handled by the busiest sections of the Parisian peripherique are slightly under the 250 000 mark (The prefecture de Paris holds the data. For the other IDF motorways, data are available in the DDE).

From what I remember when I compiled traffic data for the IDF region back at the end of the 90s, the A4 was already the region busiest section, with rising traffic flow whereas the peripherique flows were dropping slowly and gradually.

I also remember that the A3 in NE Paris had some stretches with more than 200 000 v/d on average.

We may also combine the A6a and A6b traffic. I guess it would amount to around 280 000 v/d on average.

Outside Paris, there are few french motorways with flows exceeding 150 000. In Lille, The A1/A25 junction area may be a contender...

---------

As for the UK, the M25 has reached 200 000 v/d on average in 2004 between J14 and 15.
The M1 (M25-Luton), M6 (Thelwall and Brum), M62 (Manchester area), M60 (Manchester ring), M4 (Berkshire and Ldn) and the M8 exceed for more than one stretch the 150 000 mark. Slightly under 150 000 v/d are the M42 (Brum se ring), the M56 (Manchester SW approach), the M27 (Southampton), the M20 (Kent), M4 (Newport, Wales), M62 (Leeds)...

Also remember that the M25 is a suburban motorway not an urban one.

The busiest river crossing in the UK are the M8 and the Dartford Crossing A282 for the M25 (around 150 000 v/d)

When T5 opens to passengers in 2008, M25 traffic is expected to rise immediately to 250 000 v/d as access to the terminal is mainly provided by a spur between J14 and 15 (12 lanes).

the UK has also on average (all motorways combined), the highest average daily traffic flow and among the busiest non urban motorways.

The M1 and M6 have almost consistently traffic flows exceeding 100 000 v/d on average.

[eomer]

It is fully acces-controlled, what more do you need?
Some "yield" signals like this at the entrance.
http://www.ottawa.ca/city_services/traffic/roundabout/images/yeild.gif

[ChrisZwolle]

The MKAD Motorway of Moscow is very busy, i thought this was the busiest stretch of road in Europa. The M-roads around Madrid are very busy too (M30, M40, M45, M50). And of course the Périphérique around Paris, but this one is not an autoroute, but a voie expresse, an expressway. So it's not an officialy motorway or freeway, but it looks like one. This road can be very busy, rushhour s last the whole day, but you can drive it in the summer, when all Parisians are on vacation.

Most motorways in The Netherlands are overcrowded and have a heavy undercapacity, especially the A1, A2, A4, A9, A10, A12, A13, A16 and A20 motorways around Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. But other motorways are busy too, near Arnhem, Eindhoven, Haarlem, Almere, Zwolle, Groningen and Deventer. Some motorways have the same capacity as 30 years ago, but the number of traffic has tripled that time.

[Bikkel]

Hmm, I think we're mixing up numbers of commuters and all of the traffic. Near Rotterdam, Antwerp etc, there is a huge share of trucks. In terms of air pollution, Belgium/NL is worst, perhaps also busiest.
Anywhere near Essen, Bochum etc or Lille/Duinkerken or down south in Italy around Milan could also count amongst the busiest parts.
The worst traffic I myself got stuck in is near Lyon.

[ChrisZwolle]

The R0 Ring of Brussels, and the R1 around Antwerp seems to be busier every day. The A7 near Hamburg, and the A99 around Munich are very busy too.
In summer, long trafficjams of more than 50km are not uncommon on the German A8.
The French "autoroute du Soleil A6/A7" is notorious for huge traffic jams from Lyon to Perpignan. The longest traffic jam ever was between Paris and Reims, over 180kms of traffic jam.

[aswnl]

Some useful links:

Busiest roads in the world: http://members.a1.net/wabweb/frames/wf.htm

in Europe: http://members.a1.net/wabweb/frames/euf.htm

[KIWIKAAS]

^^
Very interesting. Clears up some myths in this thread.

[gooth]

Puente de Ventas, Madrid:
http://www.jorgetutor.com/spain/madrid/madrid4/madrid12.jpg

[London_2006]

What is a freeway? We don't use that term in the UK.

[ChrisZwolle]

It's a Motorway, but the term freeway is more common in certain parts of the world. There are a lot of names for a road who looks the same, for example expressway, freeway, motorway, highway etc.
Autobahn, Autoroute, Autopista, Autostrada, Motorvej and Autosnelweg are common names in Europe.

[coth]

Some useful links:

Busiest roads in the world: http://members.a1.net/wabweb/frames/wf.htm

in Europe: http://members.a1.net/wabweb/frames/euf.htm
hmm, 1999 was 7 years ago... i think figure for MKAD should double or triple now... plus TTK freeway was completed in 2003. It's more busier than MKAD, but 3 times shorter. definitely should be now in list.

[bay_area]

Some useful links:

Busiest roads in the world: http://members.a1.net/wabweb/frames/wf.htm

in Europe: http://members.a1.net/wabweb/frames/euf.htm

Here's a 2004 Update on LA's busiest
5@Main Street-Santa Ana.........406,000
405@Seal Beach.....................390,000
60@Grand Av-Diamond Bar........348,000
110@Vernon...........................344,000
10@Hoover.............................340,000
101@White Oak Av-Encino........317,000
605@105...............................316,000
91@Lakeview Av-Anaheim.........327,000
57@Orangethorpe Av-Placentia..320,000
210@Lake Av-Pasadena............310,000

[Minato ku]

Satistique for Paris are too old

Peripherique 1986
In 2005
Near Porte de Bagnolet more 270 000 vehicule per day.

A13 1993
A1 1992
A4 1993

And N13 160 000 car per day in 2005.
http://www.bullesdoxygene.com/nuit/neuilly/photos/av_deGaulle.jpg
http://www.bullesdoxygene.com/nuit/neuilly/photos/av_deGaulle2.jpg

[Manuel]

Satistique for Paris are too old


Yeah but traffic on the parisian inner ring is gradually declining.

[ChrisZwolle]

If the A86 Périphérique d'Ile de France will be completed in several years (including tunnels), the traffic on the BP will decline for sure. Paris need an complete A104 outer ring too, for transit traffic.

[brisavoine]

Some useful links:

Busiest roads in the world: http://members.a1.net/wabweb/frames/wf.htm

in Europe: http://members.a1.net/wabweb/frames/euf.htm
I'm afraid your links are not very reliable. In particular, the European list forgot the A4 autoroute at the level of Saint-Maurice in the eastern suburbs of Paris: 257,000 vehicles a day in 2002 (source (http://www.senat.fr/cra/s20021217/s20021217H4.html)). The list also forgot those sections of the Paris Périphérique which see traffic in the 270,000-300,000 range. Oddly, the list gives traffic on the M25 in London higher than the more reliable BBC source I quoted in the beginning of the thread. So all in all I think your lists needs to be taken with a big grain of salt.

[ChrisZwolle]

hmm, 1999 was 7 years ago... i think figure for MKAD should double or triple now... plus TTK freeway was completed in 2003. It's more busier than MKAD, but 3 times shorter. definitely should be now in list.

What is the TTK freeway? Too bad that there are not figures of the MKAD. I think it's Europe's busiest, but the M30 in Madrid handles traffic numbers above 300.000 too.

[coth]

3-е транспортное кольцо. 3rd transport ring.
http://maps.google.com/?q=moscow&t=h&om=1

[Minato ku]

If the A86 Périphérique d'Ile de France will be completed in several years (including tunnels), the traffic on the BP will decline for sure. Paris need an complete A104 outer ring too, for transit traffic.


The traffic decline only in Paris center but in Ile de france the Traffic grow.

[Boards]

The M8 over the Kingston Bridge in Glasgow handles 176'000 vehicles a day - but interestingly that figure is taken from the southern approach which is six lanes, the bridge itself is ten lanes. Despite being very busy the bridge isnt even full access. When the M74 is finished and feeds onto the M8 its projected the busiest stretch will handle 255'000 vehicles a day. Glasgow has very low car ownership and thus traffic figures are rising more quickly than the rest of the UK as Glasgow catches up. Traffic levels in the city are projected to rise 40% by 2021.

[m@rco]

The French "autoroute du Soleil A6/A7" is notorious for huge traffic jams from Lyon to Perpignan.
To complete:
A6: Autoroute du Soleil, from Paris to Lyon, 466km.
A7: Autoroute du Soleil, from Lyon to Marseilles, 316km.
A8: La Provençale, from Salon de Provence to Italian border (Nice-Menton), 228km.
A9: La Languedocienne-La Catalane, from Orange to Spanish border (Perpignan-Le Perthus), 277km

In terms of traffic jam, the worst section is Valence-Sud/Montelimar-Nord (75,000 cars/day).
http://franceautoroutes.free.fr/photos/a7/A7-023-A.jpg


The longest traffic jam ever was between Paris and Reims, over 180kms of traffic jam.
???????? Where did you find this ?

[ChrisZwolle]

i can't tell you exactly, i read this a year ago on a website. It was during a summer vacation season.

It is recommended not to drive on a saturday in France during the summer season. Especially on the A1, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10, A31, A41, A42, A43, A46, A47 etc.

[juanpe_r]

it´s said that M-30 madrid road is one of the busiest in europe. also A-3(madrid-valencia) is colapsed o weekends. it´s 350km and sometimes you need 10 hours.... usually 1 agoust when everybody leave madrid

[GNU]

Koelner Ring: (Cologne)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/BAB3_Koelner_Ring.jpg/800px-BAB3_Koelner_Ring.jpg

[The Boy David]

http://members.a1.net/wabweb/frames/euf.htm This list is terribly inaccurate. For example:

UK
Glasgow
M8
J19-J20 Glasgow - Kinston Bridge
139.000
2001
2x3


The Kingston Bridge has just been re-strengthened, as it is now carrying in excess of 200,000 vehicles a day (10 times the amount of traffic it was designed for), making it the busiest river crossing in Europe. It is 2x5 lanes wide, not 2x3 as the list wrongly states.

The M8 is 12 lanes wide for a good stretch on the south-side of the city, and is about to be joined to the M74. This will in turn make it the busiest motorway/highway section in the UK.

[ChrisZwolle]

The van Brienenoordbridge on the A16 near Rotterdam across the Maas river, is much busier with over 250.000 vehicles/day on 4 lanes (2+2+2+2).
The A10 Coen Tunnel near Amsterdam carries the same amount of vehicles. (2x3) There are enormous capacity problems here.

Other busy river crossings:

Germany:
A7 Elbe Tunnel
A1 Rhinebridge Köln
A5 Mainbridge Frankfurt am Main

France:
A7 Rhone crossing Lyon
BP Seine river crossing (2 times)
A4/A86 near Paris across the Seine

Belgium:
R1 near Antwerp across the Schelde (Escaut in French) river

[m@rco]

Other busy river crossings:

France:
A7 Rhone crossing Lyon
BP Seine river crossing (2 times)
A4/A86 near Paris across the Seine


A6 crossing Saone river in Lyon (2x3 lanes):
http://naturellementvotres.chez-alice.fr/lyon/vu_a_lyon_06/58_tunel_de_fourviere.jpg
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/les-ponts-de-lyon/photos%20contemporaines/viaduc%20autoroutier%20du%20soleil/viaduc%20autoroutier%20du%20soleil%202.jpg


A7 crossing Saone river in Lyon (pont de la Mulatiere, 2x3 lanes):
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/les-ponts-de-lyon/photos%20contemporaines/pont%20de%20la%20mulatiere/pont%20de%20la%20mulatiere%203.jpg
http://www.lyon-photos.com/diaporama/lyon-photos.php?id_rub=1&id_slieu=18&img=septieme26.jpg


A7 also crosses Rhone river near Lyon (5km after)...


BP crossing Seine river (pont Aval, 2x4 lanes):
http://www.karl-gotsch.de/Bilder/Aval2.jpg


A4/A86 crossing Seine river near Paris:
http://media.sara.free.fr/galleries/Taverne/Photos_aeriennes/a4-a86.jpg


A13 crossing Seine river in St Cloud (near Paris, 2x3 lanes):
http://www.karl-gotsch.de/Bilder/StCloud_A13.jpg


A86 crossing Seine river in St Ouen (near Paris, 2x4lanes):
http://www.karl-gotsch.de/Bilder/StOuen_AB.jpg


A15 crossing Seine in Gennevilliers (near Paris, 2x4lanes):
http://www.karl-gotsch.de/Bilder/Gennevilliers2_A15.jpg


A14 crossing Seine in Carrieres (near Paris, 2x3 lanes):
http://www.karl-gotsch.de/Bilder/Carrieres.jpg


A14 crossing Seine in Le Vesinet (near Paris, 2x3lanes):
http://www.karl-gotsch.de/Bilder/Seine_A14_LeVesinet2.jpg

[torke]

MADRID's first round round ring (M-30) of its four ones (M-30, M-40, M-45 and M-50) east side: 330.000cars/day.

M-30 east, looking north, cars are going north on the right and south on the left, the picture was taken over a bridge next to exit Nº8 (close to A-3). M-30 has between R-3 (Eje O'Donnell) and A-3 (Valencia) 3x5 lanes and 1x4 lanes: 19 total lanes.
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8508/imaxe025m19om.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[SE9]

Dartford Crossing on London's Orbital M25

* Year 2000: used by 40 million cars annually.

http://www.johnpugh.com/photographs/misc/IMG56.jpg

[Verso]

MADRID's first round round ring (M-30) of its four ones (M-30, M-40, M-45 and M-50) east side: 330.000cars/day.

M-30 with 3x5 lanes and 1x4 lanes: 19 total lanes
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8508/imaxe025m19om.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
:eek2: :eek2: :eek2: This is like some LA or Toronto!! Never thought there was any freeway/motorway with 19 lanes in Europe! Is this one new?

[Verso]

3-е транспортное кольцо. 3rd transport ring.
http://maps.google.com/?q=moscow&t=h&om=1
What's the official 'status' of this road? Is it motorway (freeway), fast road (expressway) or 'just' an 'ordinary' multi-lane road? I see though that it's wide and access-controlled.
And how long is it, if anyone knows?

[Minato ku]

MADRID's first round round ring (M-30) of its four ones (M-30, M-40, M-45 and M-50) east side: 330.000cars/day.

M-30 with 3x5 lanes and 1x4 lanes: 19 total lanes
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8508/imaxe025m19om.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Surely the busiest section in Europe. :okay:
For 19 lines 330 000 cars/day is not so much

Parisian Boulevard Peripherique has 300 000 cars/day (near Pte De Bagnolet ) for 8 lines.

[Carretero]

:eek2: :eek2: :eek2: This is like some LA or Toronto!! Never thought there was any freeway/motorway with 19 lanes in Europe! Is this one new?Surely the busiest section in Europe. :okay:
For 19 lines 330 000 cars/day is not so much

Parisian Boulevard Peripherique has 300 000 cars/day (near Pte De Bagnolet ) for 8 lines.Actually, not the entire ring road M-30 has all these lanes.

The most common section in the East sector (the busiest) is 3+3+3+3 (12 lanes). In some points there are some lanes more because of the proximity of interchanges (at the back of this photo we have the interchange with A-3 highway).

At the North and at the West there are only 3+3 lanes.

[coth]

What's the official 'status' of this road? Is it motorway (freeway), fast road (expressway) or 'just' an 'ordinary' multi-lane road? I see though that it's wide and access-controlled.
And how long is it, if anyone knows?
officially it's just a street, but de-facto powerful freeway with several exclusions.
diameter of circle is very small - just 10km, therefore there are several turns with high degree. speed is officially limited by 60 kmph, but most of drivers moving on 80-100 kmph.
TTK have 200 thous cars per day in average.

[torke]

Carretero, that is not really exactly (because the old ones are completely distroyed now), the only one part of M-30 with six lanes is and will be between A-5 and A-6, in the west/north side. Before the works (not finished yet) all the west and north/west side (from A-4 to M-607) had 6 lanes (now all in works) but not any more once finished the refurbishments!!!!!! As about the east side, in the picture u can clairly view 19 lanes, just 2 for the A-3 tunnel, and you have to counter 18 lanes between the R-3 (eje O'Donnell to A-3) about 2km, how ever mostly of the east side is 14 lanes, untill the end of the year, it just have 10 lanes from A-3 to south due to south by pass works and when this will be finished it will have 8 lanes over the old track plus 8 in this south by pass (from A-3 to near of A-42). You just have too 9/10 lanes in the upper east/north and north side but as the same as it will happen with south part, when north by pass will be finished 6 more lanes will be added from close to A-1 to M-607.

M-30 east, looking north, cars into south close to exit number 5 (A-2), 14 lanes:
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8352/imaxe0086ra.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

M-30 east, looking south, cars into north close to exit number 5 (A-2), 14 lanes:
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/5649/imaxe0177ca.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

M-30 east, looking north, cars into north in the right and into south in the left, close to exit number 8 (close to A-3 exit), 19 lanes:
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/307/imaxe030m15rb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[torke]

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7941/greatmadridsketchmapofhighways.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I have drawn the M-30 ring over a satellite picture of Madrid downtown:

http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/8708/m306if.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Sketch map of old M-30 and M-40:
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/7654/m13cf.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

M-30 is 30km long, the highest density of cars/day is in the east side and it was built in the late sixties.
Now a days M-30 is changing completely, is being rebuilt to improve those areas of Madrid near the freeway, especially the west side, close to the Manzanares river, the total costs of the works are 1.080.203.173 euros. Most of the highway will be a tunnel and its capacity will be extended. The east, north and south sides, will be completely in tunnel. When finished, by spring of 2007, 100.000 more cars/day will be able to use it.


Some info about the proyect and works (any doubt just ask):

- M-30 / R-3:
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/6942/nudom30conr36qq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

-By pass south:

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/2666/bypasssur2jo.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

-By pass south (east exit):
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/1888/este25xe.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

-West side proyect:
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/8735/calle30proyectooestecompletopg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

-West (south) side proyect detail (M-30/A-42):
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/8735/calle30proyectooestecompletopg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

-West side proyect detail:
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/6990/calle30proyectooestecompletopg1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

-West side proyect detail:
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/7193/calle30proyectooestecompletopg2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

-West (north) side proyect detail (M-30/A-5):
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/6990/calle30proyectooestecompletopg1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

-West (north) side aerial picture (M-30/A-5):
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/4585/monistrolsegovia17sy.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Verso]

^^ U must've put a lot of effort in this, thanks! IMHO Madrid's got (or has always had, I don't know) the best freeway/motorway network in Europe!

[coth]

^^ U must've put a lot of effort in this, thanks! IMHO Madrid's got (or has always had, I don't know) the best freeway/motorway system in Europe!
well, i think moscow can easy dispute this statement.

[eomer]

A4/A86 crossing Seine river near Paris:
http://media.sara.free.fr/galleries/Taverne/Photos_aeriennes/a4-a86.jpg

ARGH !!!
This is MARNE river and not SEINE !!! :bash: :bash: :bash: :bash:

[torke]

Really?! Could u show it to us? I do not know much about Moscow and I'll like to improve my knowledge about it. I really thought there were not much money in Russia to build that much km of freeways of this kind. TELL US PLEASE, I am really interested in. ;)

[Accura4Matalan]

well, i think moscow can easy dispute this statement.
Please show. From what I can see, Madrid takes this by a long shot. Could rival Toronto!

[Accura4Matalan]

Manchester is also a city with its motorway network on the rise:
http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/maps/motorway.jpg

M60 Manchester Ringroad.... recently widened
http://static.flickr.com/74/158936508_35db1161c4_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/23/28255637_4d9f44d591_o.jpg

M56 (only so quiet because it was closed at the time)
http://static.flickr.com/32/94091946_2561e1790d.jpg?v=0

M62
http://static.flickr.com/46/128765639_bd0d77d07b_b.jpg

M61
http://static.flickr.com/44/154449691_09888787c9.jpg?v=0

M67 (running horizontally across picture)
http://static.flickr.com/34/122837256_f755f291fd_b.jpg

Mancunian Way... an elevated motorway going through the city centre.
http://static.flickr.com/34/107338776_1bbd14173a.jpg?v=0

[coth]

Russia is big country and is federation with many independent economies and which entire economy jumped in 3 times in last 5 years. Some parts of Russia are developed, some are developing and rural usually undeveloped. So what you heard about Russian then isn't close to realities. Moscow budget for example is $20,5bln.

As of roads you can check google maps. You can see there new MKAD, partially built 3TR (photos are from about 2003, so there is no western part with tunnels). Also you can see radial highways.
http://maps.google.com/?q=moscow&ie=UTF8&ll=55.749917,37.619934&spn=0.12347,0.405464&t=h&om=1

Currently Moscow upgrading several radial highways and building Kranopresnenskiy Prospekt freeway. It's called avenue, but de-facto 14km freeway that will connect historical center with MKAD. Several photos and maps could be found here. Right blue and green parts are completed now. Red is tunnel and bridge currently under construction and left blue will be built to completiong of red part. It's in Russian but i think it's not problem to click on labels on map and then on photos and links to pages with photos (marked with >>)
http://www.roads.ru/kp/
several photos of red part could be found here
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=109884

this year begin construction of next 4th transport ring 61km freeway
greed will follow current streets that will be rebuild into freeway. red is new part and black are tunnels.
http://www.roads.ru/4tk/4tk_rbk.php

[coth]

some photos of moscow freeways/highways

http://www.ukko.ru/info/photo/album/5/4.jpg

http://www.strogino.com/ailuri/images/ttk.jpg

http://www.vokrugsveta.ru/img/upload/1684.jpg

http://www.ethaniel.com/gallery_show/moscow/135_3583.jpg

http://foto-moscow.ru/img/fl657234840.jpg

http://foto-moscow.ru/img/fl1044199303.jpg

http://foto-moscow.ru/img/fl1757020824.jpg

http://foto-moscow.ru/img/fl327487672.jpg

http://foto-moscow.ru/img/fl1175668077.jpg

http://www.ajax.ru/images/outdoor/mkad1.jpg

http://www.supernova.ru/mkad.jpg

http://inf.susu.ac.ru/~alexu/pictures/Germany/mkad.jpg

http://www.mostootrjad19.spb.ru/gif/obj_mkad.jpg

http://www.mostootrjad19.spb.ru/gif/obj_ush.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b398/pulkovo/Sherem_r.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b398/pulkovo/mkad.jpg

http://img-2005-12.photosight.ru/04/1163423.jpg

http://img-2005-09.photosight.ru/21/1044073.jpg

http://img-2005-04.photosight.ru/21/832201.jpg

[Nephasto]

coth, don't you have any maps to clear it up?

For example a map showing the location of the MKAD (that's the most outer ring, with a bit more than 100 km in extension, right?), and all other ring roads.

[Nephasto]

Could you also put some ID on the pictures, if possible? :)

For comparising purpouses, the MKAD, would be equivalent to Madrid's M50(will have about 110 km or so) when completelly closed. This new 60 km ring would be the Moscow equivalent to M40(about 60km).

[coth]

coth, don't you have any maps to clear it up?

For example a map showing the location of the MKAD (that's the most outer ring, with a bit more than 100 km in extension, right?), and all other ring roads.
map is on google. i posted link above.

[Nephasto]

^Yes, I can see the map on google... but for the moscow area, the road maps on google are quite bad... I mean, alll the roads have the same colour and only a few are in the map... Not like in other european countries or US where you can see the freeways on blue, etc... So it's a bit confusing.

The outer ring is MKAD... A 110km long ring freeway.

Then there's the most inner ring (about 15km long) which by looking in google earth I see it's an avenue and not an expressway(I would consider it a fast avenue... independent from other streets in some stretches). (was that the one you were refering saying it was limited to 60km/h but that people drive on at at 80/100?)

Then there's the ring between these 2 there is another ring, which I guess is a freeway, and must be about 30 km. Is it all completed?

[coth]

yellow roads on map with шоссе or проспект in names are highways. all of them from soviet time. some, like varshavskoye shosse, prospekt mira/yaroslavskoye shosse, kutuzovskiy prospekt and several other was very well upgraded.

this photo is crossing of leninskiy and vernadskogo prospekts
http://foto-moscow.ru/img/fl327487672.jpg

this one is leningradskoye shosse
http://foto-moscow.ru/img/fl1044199303.jpg

this is vernadskogo prospekt enter city center
http://www.ethaniel.com/gallery_show/moscow/135_3583.jpg

as i know leningradskiy prospekt is currently under upgrade.

[Verso]

^Yes, I can see the map on google... but for the moscow area, the road maps on google are quite bad... I mean, alll the roads have the same colour and only a few are in the map... Not like in other european countries or US where you can see the freeways on blue, etc... So it's a bit confusing.
Man, u definitely need this: www.map24.com! It will clear you up what Google Earth doesn't.

Then there's the most inner ring (about 15km long) which by looking in google earth I see it's an avenue and not an expressway(I would consider it a fast avenue... independent from other streets in some stretches). (was that the one you were refering saying it was limited to 60km/h but that people drive on at at 80/100?)
I'm pretty sure this 15-km ring's not what 'coth' was talking about. From what I could see on Google Earth it's an 'ordinary' road with level-crossings (wide though). I may be wrong of course. To clear it up, read below. :)

Then there's the ring between these 2 there is another ring, which I guess is a freeway, and must be about 30 km. Is it all completed?
I think this one's what 'coth' was talking about!

:cheers:
'coth', correct me if I'm wrong!

[coth]

the one small is garden ring. at least 10 lanes. actually could be considered highway as well. there are just few traffic lights, mostly does not affect traffic, like one near me in crossing with tram line. green for tram turn on every 10-15min in peak hour.

[Verso]

officially it's just a street, but de-facto powerful freeway with several exclusions.
diameter of circle is very small - just 10km, therefore there are several turns with high degree. speed is officially limited by 60 kmph, but most of drivers moving on 80-100 kmph.
TTK have 200 thous cars per day in average.
Thanks for that one!

Btw, the 4th ring?! :runaway:
From the pic I can't really figure out where it's gonna be located, inside the 3rd ring or outside of it. Answer, please! :)



And as for the Moscow - Madrid battle :D from this point I'd say that Madrid still whoops Europe's ass :D , but god knows what happens when all the Moscow projects are finished. We'll see... :)

[coth]

Thanks for that one!

Btw, the 4th ring?! :runaway:
From the pic I can't really figure out where it's gonna be located, inside the 3rd ring or outside of it. Answer, please! :)



And as for the Moscow - Madrid battle :D from this point I'd say that Madrid still whoops Europe's ass :D , but god knows what happens when all the Moscow projects are finished. We'll see... :)
it will be between 3rd and MKAD.

and i would say not. moscow within city limits has tones of radial highways, 2 ring freeways and one ring highway.

[Verso]

it will be between 3rd and MKAD.
Ok, yeah, what a dumb question actually, since it's the 4th ring-road, it's (pretty) obvious that it's gonna be outside of the 3rd one! :stupid: :D

and i would say not. moscow within city limits has tones of radial highways, 2 ring freeways and one ring highway.
Yeah well, but every city's got tons of wide roads, it's the motorway/freeway network we're talking about. I'm sure many cities even have a lot of wide-road-rings (I know, it's not in dictionary :D ), but not so many have motorway/freeway rings. And a city like Moscow would need more than one (I think only MKAD counts here for now; it's actually a fast road/expressway with 100 km/h, but ok, doesn't matter). And from what I've seen on Google Earth it has some huge traffic jams despite its 8 - 10 lanes (the pic could be taken at some special time though). Madrid on the other hand's got... shit I don't know how many, but at least 3 or 4 freeway rings (or at least bypasses which almost create circles; I know there's at least 1 true ring) and I think all can count especially since the very inner one has the most lanes, as I understood it.

[Nephasto]

www.viamichelin.com <-- Undoubtedly the best road map for central/western europe there is- ;)

Map of Madrid in a 1cm=10km scale

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/Nephasto/MAdrid_1_10.jpg

Map of Madrid in a 1cm=4km scale

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/Nephasto/MAdrid_1_4.jpg

As you can see, there is a bit of the northern part of the M-30 (the inner freeway ring) that it's just a dual carrigeway (an avenue with 2 roundabouts). But a freeway bypass (bypass norte) to that will be built probably between 2007 and 2011 or so, so it will be all freeway.
The section which has the river runnning in the middle is freeway too, although it may not look like that in the map.

M-40 is the next ring (a full ring, although not very circular).

M-45 is south of the M-40 (between the M-40 and the M-50) and is just a bit of a ring.

And the M-50 is the outer ring, which is not completed in the north. But there are plans to close it... the problem is that a 10 km tunnel with have to be done under the "Monte del Prado"... and for ecological reasons, probably there won't be allowed any ventillacion shafts (to not do any damage to the mountain), so it will be tricky. But will probably be done in the next few years.... there are already projects.

[brisavoine]

MADRID's first round round ring (M-30) of its four ones (M-30, M-40, M-45 and M-50) east side: 330.000cars/day.

M-30 east, looking north, cars are going north on the right and south on the left, the picture was taken over a bridge next to exit Nº8 (close to A-3). M-30 has between R-3 (Eje O'Donnell) and A-3 (Valencia) 3x5 lanes and 1x4 lanes: 19 total lanes.
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8508/imaxe025m19om.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
This is not a single freeway, but rather several separate freeways side by side. This is not a unique case in Europe. In Paris, for example, there are freeways side by side to the north and south of Central Paris.

Here is the A6 freeway in the southern suburbs of Paris (14 lanes plus 4 emergency lanes):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mg/e/e3/A6b.JPG

Another section of the A6 freeway, closer to Central Paris (17 lanes plus 2 emergency lanes):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mg/d/db/A6bis.JPG

Here is the A1 freeway in the northern suburbs of Paris (14 lanes plus 2 emergency lanes):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mg/1/10/A1b.JPG

Another section of the A1 freeway, near CDG Airport (15 lanes plus 4 emergency lanes):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mg/e/e7/A1bis.JPG

By the way, a higher number of lanes doesn't necessarily mean higher traffic. The 8 lanes Périphérique, for instance, handles more traffic than the 14 lanes A1 freeway.

[coth]

Moscow from there with same zoom. Unfortunately this zoom is not enough to see all city. So there is only within MKAD.
A bit outdated. Somewhere from 2003.
http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/8165/moscow3ru.png

[torke]

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7941/greatmadridsketchmapofhighways.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

As u can see, Great Madrid has a hugh real net of highways.

A-1 / M-40:
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8652/a1m400oa.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

A-5 / M-50:
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/2104/a5m500ru.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

A-6 / M-30:
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4606/m30a65tt.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

A-2 / M-50:
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/1738/m50a20ex.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Minato ku]

Paris

Paris freeway plan (http://www.viamichelin.fr/viamichelin/fra/dyn/controller/mapPerformPage?pim=true&act=RefineToMap&rnd=1150380586343&E_mg=210506167lS20J406166160725773286MAPB2C17103fra542000130r110414240007UEFSSVM00001100&stat=ambiguous_map&strChoice=0)

....................................................................................
425 :) detective conan special 2006

[brisavoine]

Better than a link, here is the map itself.

Freeway network in the Paris metro area (scale at the bottom left of the map):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mg/8/8e/ParisRoad2.JPG

More detailed map:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mg/thumb/d/da/ParisRoad.JPG/1200px-ParisRoad.JPG

[Verso]

Time to clear up some myths here!

Warner Bross presents the most extensive freeway network in Europe:





http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/938/ljubljanaring5rj.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


Oh boy, we rock :nocrook:


(hope u see the ring :) )

[Nephasto]

^Lovely charming city Ljubljana is. :)
Calm, peacefull and cozy... not exactly a city with some of the busiest motorway sections in Europe, but a damn fine city. ;)

[Nephasto]

brisavoine, how did you did to make than huge map in only one image?

[Nephasto]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v202/Nephasto/Ljubljana_1_10.jpg

[Nephasto]

Btw, for a city of it's size, Ljubljana has a very good freeway ring!

[Verso]

^^ :cheer: And a Portuguese is telling me that... :runaway:

[Nephasto]

^Why?... Should we portuguese not like you?! Lol!

I loved Ljubljana by the way.... a capital of a country, but i feels like a small town (in a good way ;) )

[Verso]

^^ Certainly not lol! :) It's me using wrong words I guess! I meant you're so far away, never thought of Iberians, especially the Portuguese knowing 'anything' about that area. But I've noticed a huge increase of the Portuguese car plates 'outside of your peninsula'! If it means anything, I think it does. Must be hard for you to play tourists in Europe, being on the edge of it!

[Verso]

^^ Ok, now we've got cheap flights and everything, but wasn't always like that.

[CborG]

Oh i love Viamichelin, i made this map of Randstad Holland a while ago:

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/2909/adam388mt.jpg

[Nephasto]

^^ Certainly not lol! :) It's me using wrong words I guess! I meant you're so far away, never thought of Iberians, especially the Portuguese knowing 'anything' about that area. But I've noticed a huge increase of the Portuguese car plates 'outside of your peninsula'! If it means anything, I think it does. Must be hard for you to play tourists in Europe, being on the edge of it!


I've been in Ljubljana and I got there by train (doing an interrail ;) ).

I've allways had my vacations out of portugal... traveling through europe, so I can't say I'm a typical portuguese in that.
But with nowadays cheap plane travels, portugal is not farther away than any other european country. :)

[Verso]

But with nowadays cheap plane travels, portugal is not farther away than any other european country. :)
It's good to hear that! :cheers1:

[Verso]

M60 Manchester Ringroad.... recently widened
http://static.flickr.com/74/158936508_35db1161c4_b.jpg
This one's nice, just those roadworks :bash: (look kinda nice though :tongue2: ) and driving on the left. :laugh: When was the last part of the motorway(s) to enclose the Ring finished? I've got an opinion it's rather new.

[Verso]

www.viamichelin.com <-- Undoubtedly the best road map for central/western europe there is- ;)
True, Map24 could be 'a little' more updated in 'New Europe' :) ! :bash:

But I'm using it because it's VERY easy to use it. In case you haven't tried it yet, I strongly recommend it.

I see though that it's got a lot more appropriate travel times! On Map24 looks like they are using 60 - 70 km/h speed on motorways although it says 70 miles/h lol...

[coth]

one new pano taken by sergeypiano
TTK and complex u/c (possibly up to eight 30 and 40 floorers)
http://foto.rambler.ru/photos/s/e/sergeypiano/Khoroshevka220/Khorosh160606panorama/Khorosh160606panorama.jpg

[Verso]

^^ Cool man, I've never seen any picture of TTK before. Do you have any more of them?

[coth]

there are actually several posted above

http://foto-moscow.ru/img/fl1175668077.jpg
http://img-2005-12.photosight.ru/04/1163423.jpg


yet again. you can see all TTK on google maps.

[torke]

Madrid's inner ring freeway (M-30) videos link:

http://www.munimadrid.es/Principal/EnlacesHome/Calle30/Pres1/calle30.htm

[ChrisZwolle]

I was wondering, which motorways in Europe are very busy.

I heard the London Beltway, The Moskovian MKAD and the M30 in Madrid are extremely busy with 300.000 vehicles a day or more. What is exactly the busiest? Maybe we can make a list. I can use every official count of your countries busiest motorways, i prefer some recent stats, and not some stats back from the eighties or so ;)

For that, you need traffic counts of stretches, and not from interchanges.

The busiest road in The Netherlands is the A16 near Rotterdam across the Meuse river with over 255.000 vehicles a day on 14 lanes.

[Europa.]

i would probably say some highway around Paris, France is packed with cars so i dunno

[Ali_B]

This is the top 5 of Belgians busiest motorway stretches. These figures indicate the mean daily traffic in 2003/2005*

- A4/E411 Brussels - Namur (Leonard Junction - Jezus-Eik Exit): 123 300
- A3/E40 Brussels - Louvain - Liège (St.-St.-Woluwe Junction - Sterrebeek Exit): 122 500
- A10/E40 Brussels - Ghent (Wetteren Exit - Merelbeke Exit): 113 700
- A7/E19 Brussels - Mons (Ruisbroek Exit - Beersel Exit): 112 800
- A3/E40 Brussels - Louvain - Liège (Sterrebeek Exit - Bertem Exit): 111 000


This is the top 5 of Belgians busiest ringroad stretches. These figures indicate the mean daily traffic in 2003/2005*

- R0 Ringroad Brussels North (UZ Jette Exit - Wemmel Exit): 164 500
- R0 Ringroad Brussels East (Diegem Woluwelaan Exit - Machelen Junction): 146 000
- R0 Ringroad Brussels East (Zaventem Exit - St.-St.-Woluwe Junction): 146 000
- R0 Ringroad Brussels North (UZ Jette Exit - Zellik Exit): 145 400
- R0 Ringroad Brussels West (Anderlecht North Exit - Anderlecht South Exit): 136 000

* The figures of daily traffic on Flemish motorway stretches were taken in 2005, those of Wallonia in 2003.

[ChrisZwolle]

You can see Dutch Motorways are much busier.

Here's our top:

A16 Rotterdam-Centrum - Rotterdam-Feijenoord 230.255
A16 Rotterdam-Feijenoord - Knooppunt Ridderkerk-Noord 226.716
A15/A16 Knooppunt Ridderkerk-Noord - Knooppunt Ridderkerk-Zuid 224.426
A12 Utrecht-Kanaleneiland - Utrecht-Hoograven 215.293
A12 Nieuwegein - Utrecht-Kanaleneiland 210.082
A12 Knooppunt Oudenrijn - Nieuwegein 209.828
A16 Rotterdam-Kralingen - Rotterdam-Centrum 207.538
A4 Prins Clausplein - Knooppunt Ypenburg 205.661
A10 Amsterdam S108 - Knooppunt De Nieuwe Meer 204.982
A12 Utrecht-Hoograven - Knooppunt Lunetten 203.969
A16 Rotterdam-Prins Alexander - Rotterdam-Kralingen 200.736

[yayoo]

Around 1,2 million vehicles a day for the awful ringroad of Paris (périphérique)

[Minato ku]

NO 1.2 million vehicule per day is for the whole motorway

Peripherique is around 300,000 vehicules per day in the busiest section
but a similar thread was already created.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=345486

[Ali_B]

Top 5 of busiest highway stretches in Switzerland in 2005

- A3/E25/E60 Basel - Lüzern/Zürich (Muttenz, Hard): 119 100
- A1/E60 Zürich - Bern/Basel (Baden, Bareggtunnel): 109 800
- A1/E25 Zürich - Bern (Schönbühl, Grauholz): 98 800
- A1/E41/E60 Zürich - Winterthur - Stuttgart/Innsbrück (Brüttisellen): 95 000
- A20/E60 Ringroad Zürich North (Affoltern): 94 100

[Verso]

^ Interesting; could you give us the link, please? I'm wondering what the amount of traffic is on the A1 and A2 where they are united (between Härkingen and Wiggertal).

[erbsenzaehler]

Where do you all got these facts from? Would like to post statistics like that from german motorways (that should be the busiest in Europe) :)

[ChrisZwolle]

Where do you all got these facts from? Would like to post statistics like that from german motorways (that should be the busiest in Europe) :)

German motorways are not so busy. I heard the busiest motorway in the Rhine-Ruhr area has only 140.000 kfz/tag (AADT). that is really not much for such an urban motorway.

[lpioe]

^ Interesting; could you give us the link, please? I'm wondering what the amount of traffic is on the A1 and A2 where they are united (between Härkingen and Wiggertal).

Here (2.3mb) (http://www.astra.admin.ch/dokumentation/00119/00214/index.html?lang=de&download=NHzLpZig7t,lnp6I0NTU042l2Z6ln1acy4Zn4Z2qZpnO2Yuq2Z6gpJCDdIR2hGym162dpYbUzd,Gpd6emK2Oz9aGodetmqaN19XI2IdvoaCVZ,s-) you can find a document which shows a map with AADT on page 21. The AADT for the stretch you mentioned is 77'900.

[Verso]

^ Thanks. :)

[Marek.kvackaj]

Bussiest highway in Czech Republic D1

D1 Praha-Brno 120 000 cars/per day
(boths directions)
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/2046/intenzity2005fh2.jpg

[Bori427]

European highways aren't so busy for what I can see...

You guys use mass-transit a lot!

[Verso]

^ No, we use it more than Americans for example, but we don't use it much.

[ChrisZwolle]

European highways aren't so busy for what I can see...

You guys use mass-transit a lot!

Around Metropolian area's, motorways are mostly extremely busy, comparable to midsize to large American cities traffic.

But for example, Germany, has good urban transport, so not EVERYBODY needs a car to go to work (like Los Angeles).

Where they use mass-transit a lot, is in eastern asia.

[x-type]

Bussiest highway in Czech Republic D1

D1 Praha-Brno 120 000 cars/per day
(boths directions)


it seems to be way to much. can you post a source of that data?

[LtBk]

Around Metropolian area's, motorways are mostly extremely busy, comparable to midsize to large American cities traffic.

But for example, Germany, has good urban transport, so not EVERYBODY needs a car to go to work (like Los Angeles).

Where they use mass-transit a lot, is in eastern asia.

Yet they still have traffic jams in East Asia, and its much worse that what we have.

[ChrisZwolle]

it seems to be way to much. can you post a source of that data?

I guess it's only a small portion near Praha. The D1 near Praha is 2x3 lanes.

[Marek.kvackaj]

it seems to be way to much. can you post a source of that data?

link for 2005 year (only Czech language)D1 Jizni spojka 120 000 cars (http://www.ceskedalnice.cz/intenzity.htm)

BTW
D1 highway :is also main transport route for goods
from West (Germany, Belgium, Holland, Netherland even UK)
with East (Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungaria, Balkan-Romania, Bulgaria..)

and also has lower fee then Austrian highways

[Bori427]

Freeway 18 in San Juan,Puerto Rico-about 300,000 vehicles daily

San Juan population-430,000

We have a really good metro here but since it was finished in 2004 it only has 16 stations and people here use their cars too much so traffic congestion here is horrible

[and-r]

Around 1,2 million vehicles a day for the awful ringroad of Paris (périphérique)
yup and londons m25 is second busiest. theres some interesting info on the bbc website about it:

M25 - Dartford to Purfleet - The London Orbital Motorway
The M25 has had more jokes told about it than any other road in the country. It has been described as the world's largest car park, and it is said that both 'The Road to Nowhere' and 'The Road to Hell' by Chris Rea are about the road. The author Terry Pratchett has gone as far as to suggest that the M25 is the best evidence for the existence of Satan.

The M25 starts south of the A282 Dartford River Crossing and travels for 117 miles before reaching the north end of the A282 in Essex. Since it does not quite make a complete circle it holds the record as the longest bypass in the world. Construction started in 1975, and was finished 11 years later. The M25 is the only one of five proposed concentric ring roads suggested in the Abercrombie plan of 1945 to have been built around the capital. Later plans were made for two motorways, the M25 and the M15. The M15 was never fully built but its route is roughly that of the A406 North Circular and A205 South Circular.

The M25 is infamous for being continually widened to take account of ever-increasing traffic. It is the second busiest motorway in Europe after the Peripherique in Paris, and some sections are planned to be ten lanes wide. The section between the M4 and the A3313 is in the Guinness Book of Records as the busiest section of motorway in Britain.

[Verso]

Freeway 18 in San Juan,Puerto Rico-about 300,000 vehicles dailyAnd Puerto Rico is in Europe... :lol:

[Rohne]

Where do you all got these facts from? Would like to post statistics like that from german motorways (that should be the busiest in Europe) :)

Surely not. But here you have the requested statistics...
Highest AADT on german autobahnen (numbers from 2000):

A100 Berlin (AD Funkturm - Kurfürstendamm) 174400
A3 near Köln/Cologne ~ 160000
A3 near Frankfurt (Frankfurt Süd - Offenbacher Kreuz) 155000
A5 Frankfurt ~150000
A9 near München/Munich 130000
A8 near Stuttgart 130000 (in 2005 already up to more than 140000)
further information: sections with 100000+ AADT (http://www.autobahn-online.de/phorum/read.php?6,46894,46894#msg-46894).
I`ve made an AADT-map more than a year ago, with the official statistics for the year 2000. As soon as i have the numbers for 2005 (should be released this year), i will update the map. You can find this map here (http://www.thuerstein.de/verkehr2000gross-n.gif).

Busier sections than these can be found in UK, NL, Peripherique around Paris, MKAD around Moscow, and maybe in Italy near Milano, or Spain (especially Madrid).
Concerning the busiest motorways in Europe, my tip is on the MKAD, the Peripherique, any section of the M25 around London or the A16 in the Netherlands.

[Rohne]

And now i've finished...
The AADT map for 2005 can be found here (http://www.autobahnatlas-online.de/Verkehrsmengenkarte2005.pdf) (pdf, 2.6MB).
And here (http://www.autobahnatlas-online.de/Verkehrsmengenlegende.pdf) is the legend (pdf, 780KB).

[ChrisZwolle]

And now i've finished...
The AADT map for 2005 can be found here (http://www.autobahnatlas-online.de/Verkehrsmengenkarte2005.pdf) (pdf, 2.6MB).
And here (http://www.autobahnatlas-online.de/Verkehrsmengenlegende.pdf) is the legend (pdf, 780KB).

Interesting!

Are there any excelsheets or so with tables with the exact amounts?

[Rohne]

yes. look here (http://www.bast.de/cln_005/nn_42256/DE/Statistik/Verkehrsdaten/verkehrsdaten-start.html?__nnn=true).
pdfs for autobahns and federal highways.

[Bernhard1]

Autobahn A23 (Südost-Tangente), Vienna, Austria. About 220.000/Day.

http://www.wabweb.net/verkehr/bilder/a23bild.htm

[jorgen]

M25: Since it does not quite make a complete circle it holds the record as the longest bypass in the world.

Hehe, that's a really funny fact :D

I've done most of the M25, both by car and MC. I really hate driving it, but it has that special feeling. I've never driven it during busy hours though.

[Wilhem275]

If Wikipedia IT says the truth...

E' l'autostrada più trafficata d'Italia se si considera il rapporto giornaliero veicoli/km[citazione necessaria]. Il traffico raggiunge le intensità più critiche nei pressi dei caselli di svincolo per le città. Il tratto con maggiore problematiche per la circolazione è quello che unisce tra loro le zone fortemente industrializzate ed urbanizzate della Lombardia. Considerando il rapporto veicoli/km, il tratto Milano - Bergamo è l'autostrada più trafficata d'Europa[citazione necessaria]http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autostrada_A4

Which is:
The A4 between Turin and Trieste is the busiest Italian highway, considering the vehicles per km ratio [MISSING QUOTATION].
Traffic becomes critical around the main urban areas. The most critical segment is the one linking the most urbanized and industrialized areas of the Lombardy region.
Considering the v.p.km ratio, the Milan-Bergamo segment is the busiest in Europe [MISSING QUOTATION again]


Unluckily Wikipedia does not give us any actual vpk data, so we should take this as it comes.
Knowing that part of the A4, I might say that this may be true: since that region is pure Milan metropolitan area and isn't served well by railway local transport, there is always a huge quantity of vehicles getting inside and outside of Milan.
Queues come as the standard for that segment of autostrada, as well as accidents, due to the heavy truck traffic and aged infrastructures.
That's why the 4th traffic lane is being built, as well as a new motorway is being designed between Brescia and Milan, just to let the east-west traffic bypass Bergamo.


http://www.brebemi.it/admin/moduli/m003_web/immagini/pag_pag_approf_1998_SDP.jpg

[Verso]

^^ Yeah, this part of the A4 is pretty crazy! Btw, wasn't the new Brescia - Milan motorway supposed to be finished last year?

[Wilhem275]

Hey pal, we're talking about Italy! They haven't even decided to build it or not! :lol:

Actually, maybe you're talking about the 4th lane along the full path Milan-BG, which is about to be completed, and many segments are yet operational, even from last year.
But the new "BreBeMi" is still far from being built... and that region has a desperate need for it!

[Verso]

^^ Unfortunately I was talking about BreBeMi. :(

[ChrisZwolle]

Considering the v.p.km ratio, the Milan-Bergamo segment is the busiest in Europe

I don't think so. How wide is that stretch? We're talking here about 300.000 - 350.000 at least to have the busiest motorway. You'll need at least some 20 lanes to handle that kind of traffic.

[ChrisZwolle]

i made a wrong calculation, by 350.000 cars you'll need 16 - 18 lanes (2x8 or 2x9).

[TohrAlkimista]

I don't think so. How wide is that stretch? We're talking here about 300.000 - 350.000 at least to have the busiest motorway. You'll need at least some 20 lanes to handle that kind of traffic.

you really don't know the ABSURD SITUATION of this motorway...is the HELL!

[Wilhem275]

That stretch is about 37 km long... from Milan's entrance to Bergamo's exit.
It had 3 lanes, often without emergency lane, and with very short entrance and exit ramps.

I really don't know if it is the busiest (and personally I doubt it) but it may be easily the most congestionated.
Theorically if an high vpk ratio (which determines the "business" of a road) is handled with proper infrastructures, that road will still not be congestionated.


Anyway, it is not unusual, if you drive from Milan to Bergamo in Sunday evenings, to see the upcoming traffic completely queued along the full path of the BG-MI, and sometimes the queue begins even berfore BG.
I really don't know if this makes the A4 MI-BG the busiest in EU, but believe me, this is a worrying situation :(

[ChrisZwolle]

3 lanes can NEVER handle 350.000 vehicles a day.

If you count all the capacity of all lanes, you can get some 300.000 a day with continuous traffic jams for 24 hrs, but this is highly unlikely since there are rushhours and nighthours.

The busiest 2x3 road in the Netherlands is the A20 near Rotterdam with some 180.000 vehicles a day, and it is jammed most of the day.

And Bergamo is a town of 117.000 inhabitants, and this makes it highly unlikely to generate so much traffic.

i found this quote on autostrade.it:

L'opera consiste nell'ampliamento da tre a quattro corsie più emergenza dei 35 km dell'autostrada A4 compresa tra Milano Est e Bergamo e permetterà di migliorare la fluidità e il livello di sicurezza del tratto che è percorso ogni giorno da un volume di traffico molto elevato con picchi di 140.000 veicoli giorno e punte di 40.000 camion e pullman.


I don't speak Italian at all, but the last line says it has 140.000 vehicles a day, and 40.000 trucks a day i think?

That would make 140.000 or 180.000, and you can say it is very busy, but far from being Europe's busiest.

[Wilhem275]

Yep, and they say these are peak data. I agree with you, I just quoted Wikipedia but the missing quotations should make us think about the truth in that article ;)
A Wikipedia article without quotations should always generate suspect :D

Anyway it may be the most congestionated motorway segment.
The city of Bergamo counts 117.000 inhab. but the area between BG and Milan is a dense metropolitan area, which adducts traffic on the A4 toward Milan.
And we should also count the standard traffic along the Turin-Venice-Trieste path.

I might say that the worst problem of our motorways is the excess of truck traffic :(

[Minato ku]

A 2x4 lanes can handle 300,000 cars per day . It is the case in the busiest section of the Peripherique and the average is 220,000 cars per day.

I know in Paris some very busy boulevard. : Avenue Charles de Gauche handle around 160,000 ~ 200,000 cars per day and it is not an expressway :)
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/5355/img2998be1.jpg

[ames]

M25 London is the worst motorway in the world worst then bejing. its like car park

[ChrisZwolle]

Though it's by far not the busiest. Only 190.000 AADT, that's a lot, but it can be seen elswhere in Europe.

[geogregor]

well, i think moscow can easy dispute this statement.

Moscow has only one motorway (in most countries it wouldn't be full motorway, a seen pictures of cars entering this road straight from some parking just alongside road, no acceleration lanes) ring others are just wide streets.
Madrid has 2 rings finished and 3rd is coming. Plus network of others motorways in each direction. All of them high standard multilane motorways.
Madrid is becoming like European L.A. :D
All this despite population 3 times smaller tnah Moscow.;)

[Nikom]

2º circular in Lisbon is certenly one of the busiest freways in Europe

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/1/1271412_758be24c1d_b.jpg

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/5744/auto2an3.jpg

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/9176/auto1pz4.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Highway_Juction.jpg

[ChrisZwolle]

It has only 3 lanes, which means it can carry about 132.000 vehicles a day (maybe up to 180.000, but not much more), which makes it certainly not one of the busiest roads in Europe, but maybe it is in Portugal.

[leelouca]

Im a Director of a Small courier company so am still on the road over the whole UK Road Network.

The M25 is Terrible. It was recently widened around Heathrow as J15-J13 i think, to 5 lanes each side, but what is the point if it will eventually come back down to 3 lanes each side it is obviously gonna cause a bottleneck situation isnt it!!!

Today 29/08/07 i drove Clockwise from J12 all the way round to J22 at 3.30pm (before rush hour) and it took me 1hr and a half to travel about 20 miles.

there are plans to widen the M25 to 4 lanes all the wau round but it still will not be enough.

Build More Fcukin Roads NNNNNOOOOOOWWWWWWW :bash:

[beto_chaves]

The Portuguese's busiest motorways are in Lisbon, the national capital.

MOTORWAYS
A5:200.000 cars/per day
IC19: 120.000 cars/per day

A5 motorway connects Lisbon with Cascais/Estoril Cities and the Cascais coast line.
IC19 motorway connects Lisbon with Sintra

[GENIUS LOCI]

It's always a pleasure to post this pic of A4 urban stretch in Milan :D

http://i9.tinypic.com/63jp555.jpg

[x-type]

what is this lane between toll barriers? is it some service lane or for emergency vehicles? i guess it is closed, right?

[GENIUS LOCI]

^^
Yes it is for emergency vehicles, police and so on; I don't know if it is fisically closed: I don't think so; probably they placed cameras which film infractions...


Edit.
Wait: I see some barriers (hard to see, but there are)
Then emergency vehicles got a remote control to open the barriers electronically without stopping

[keber]

3 lanes can NEVER handle 350.000 vehicles a day.

If you count all the capacity of all lanes, you can get some 300.000 a day with continuous traffic jams for 24 hrs, but this is highly unlikely since there are rushhours and nighthours.

The busiest 2x3 road in the Netherlands is the A20 near Rotterdam with some 180.000 vehicles a day, and it is jammed most of the day.

And Bergamo is a town of 117.000 inhabitants, and this makes it highly unlikely to generate so much traffic.

i found this quote on autostrade.it:



I don't speak Italian at all, but the last line says it has 140.000 vehicles a day, and 40.000 trucks a day i think?

That would make 140.000 or 180.000, and you can say it is very busy, but far from being Europe's busiest.

As I know, AADT is calculated with trucks and other large vehicles converted to "standard units" aka cars. 40.000 trucks is usually multiplied with 3 or even 4 to get AADT. Add to 140.000 vehicles and see.
And yes, A4 around Milano is mostly jammed through the day.

[RawLee]

Form where do you get those AADT figures? I cant find any for Hungary...can someone tell me some data regarding us?

[keber]

Surely your road agency/directorate/something has a web page with those data. I don't understand Hungarian, so I can't help you much.:)

[RawLee]

Thanks for the idea! It worked!
The highest number is 121774 vehicles/day(last year) on M7 between 7 and 9 km segments,weekends it was 131188.
Between 9 and 12 there were 104598 vehicles(M7),115406 on weekends.
M0 has an average of ~40000-60000 vehicles,weekends ~60000-90000.
(Weekend drive is forbidden for trucks not carrying perishable goods)

[Patrick]

As I know, AADT is calculated with trucks and other large vehicles converted to "standard units" aka cars. 40.000 trucks is usually multiplied with 3 or even 4 to get AADT. Add to 140.000 vehicles and see.
And yes, A4 around Milano is mostly jammed through the day.

Afaik, this not done by the Germans. We count every vehicle as one vehicle and then give the number how many of these are trucks/buses etc.

For example: In Berlin, A 100, between Dreieck Funkturm and Kurfürstendamm, there are 191400 vehicles (on 3 lanes per direction), 3,9% percent of these is heavy traffic. Or A7 between Kirchheimer Dreieck and Kirchheim, 107000 vehicles, 30,8% of these is heavy traffic.

[ChrisZwolle]

Thanks for the idea! It worked!
The highest number is 121774 vehicles/day(last year) on M7 between 7 and 9 km segments,weekends it was 131188.
Between 9 and 12 there were 104598 vehicles(M7),115406 on weekends.
M0 has an average of ~40000-60000 vehicles,weekends ~60000-90000.
(Weekend drive is forbidden for trucks not carrying perishable goods)

Can you provide us a link to the data?

[RawLee]

Can you provide us a link to the data?

Good luck!
http://web.kozut.hu/uploads/media/BOVITETT_MEROHELY_KIADVANY_1_2006.pdf
All in hungarian.
The sheets are approx at the middle. j/nap is vehicle/day,E/nap is same,but weekend.
Szelvény is segment.
If you are fanatic,then here are the results until 1995:)
http://web.kozut.hu/index.php?id=135

[CborG]

Thanks for the idea! It worked!
The highest number is 121774 vehicles/day(last year) on M7 between 7 and 9 km segments,weekends it was 131188.
Between 9 and 12 there were 104598 vehicles(M7),115406 on weekends.
M0 has an average of ~40000-60000 vehicles,weekends ~60000-90000.
(Weekend drive is forbidden for trucks not carrying perishable goods)

How come is busier in the weekends, even if trucks are forbidden? Maybe you switched the figures, or are there lots of people going to lake Balaton?

[RawLee]

How come is busier in the weekends, even if trucks are forbidden? Maybe you switched the figures, or are there lots of people going to lake Balaton?

People usually leave Budapest for the weekend. Thats when major roads are repaved:)We managed to repave Árpád bridge in 2 weekends:)
And we are a transit country,I suppose foreign vehicles are also included;)

[keber]

How come is busier in the weekends, even if trucks are forbidden? Maybe you switched the figures, or are there lots of people going to lake Balaton?
I remember one weekend, when driving from Budapest to Balaton on M7 (with the old pavement :nuts:), that opposite lane had about 30 km long traffic jam, in Sunday evening (people returning from Balaton to Budapest). That was in 1999, I assume, that it's even worse now.

[pilotos]

Attiki odos in Athens had an average of 270.000 cars per day for 2006, heard its already more that 300.000, i ll search for some recent figures later.

[Minato ku]

It is for the whole motorway or only for the busiest section ?.

[ChrisZwolle]

Yeah, and how many lanes has that motorway? You need like 2x7 - 2x10 lanes for that amount, and even then traffic jams will exist.

(Dutch A16 has 250.000 on 14 lanes and is often clogged up).

[Minato ku]

No the Attiki odos has only 6 lanes

[keber]

Hard to believe that numbers for only 3+3 motorway. Beside that, on almost all pictures I've seen of Attiki Odos up to now, motorway seems quite empty.

[ChrisZwolle]

150.000 will be max without major traffic jams for 6 lanes. 180.000 is also possible (Dutch A20), but will be jammed often. 300.000 is highly unlikely.

You can calculate the approximate max amount of traffic by the following;

2500 X 10 X number of lanes. Capacity of lanes becomes lower when there are over 3 / 4 lanes per direction.

[Jeroen669]

Maybe minato ku meant 6 lanes per direction?

[keber]

Maybe, but not in Athens. ;)

[Jaeger]

Dartford Crossing (near London)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/79/209414705_a6a097a95f_o.jpg

[Jaeger]

On going work to Widen the M25 'The London Orbital Motorway'

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Society/Pix/gallery/2006/07/05/gallM25.jpg

[Jaeger]

The M25 - 'The London Orbital Motoway'

http://citytransport.info/PhotoCD/1328_12a.jpg

http://citytransport.info/PhotoCD/4552_07a.jpg

[ChrisZwolle]

^^ I guess that pic is like 10 years old, looking at the cars.

[pilotos]

It is for the whole motorway or only for the busiest section ?.

It is quite obvious that they don't count the vehicles per sections, but when they enter the motorway, so if a car enters it doesn't matters if it will leave the motorway in 1 or 60 km.

Yeah, and how many lanes has that motorway? You need like 2x7 - 2x10 lanes for that amount, and even then traffic jams will exist.

How come and you know how many lanes you need, since you have no idea of what the length of the motorway is?

Anyway here are the figures of attica motorway from 2006:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1067/1418046881_5dbd95b60e_o.jpg

And here for the state owned motorways along the country:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1186/1418944012_297dee3e38_o.jpg

[Jaeger]

^^ I guess that pic is like 10 years old, looking at the cars.

Well I didn't take it, but yes it probably is, and traffic is now even worse. :ohno:

[ChrisZwolle]

It is quite obvious that they don't count the vehicles per sections, but when they enter the motorway, so if a car enters it doesn't matters if it will leave the motorway in 1 or 60 km.

How come and you know how many lanes you need, since you have no idea of what the length of the motorway is?

The length is not important, you don't measure the whole motorway to say how busy it is. You can measure how busy the road is, by taking the traffic amounts (AADT) from exit to exit, not the whole length. Same as those guys saying the Paris BP has 1 million cars per day. That might be true to the whole road, but not to one section, which you need to make an objective comparison to other motorways.


Anyway here are the figures of attica motorway from 2006:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1067/1418046881_5dbd95b60e_o.jpg

And here for the state owned motorways along the country:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1186/1418944012_297dee3e38_o.jpg

[pilotos]

I understand what you are saying, but i guess the way they count traffic here is for the whole motorway, they obviously have the figures for the busiest sections of course, but i couldn't find anything on their homepage.

[DanielFigFoz]

^^ I guess that pic is like 10 years old, looking at the cars.

There are a few newer cars.

EX. The white mercedes van in the fast lane on the right side of the picture.

[keber]

EX. The white mercedes van in the fast lane on the right side of the picture.

... which is also around 10 years old ;)

[x-type]

the newest cars there are Vectra B at second pic and BMW E39 at right side of first pic. so, the year could be oldest 1995, i wouldn't give it more, maybe 1996 because all other cars are from first half of 1990s or end of 1980s

[DanielFigFoz]

... which is also around 10 years old ;)

Is it? I uesd to think it was older but I'll take you're word for it.




95 or 96? Ok it's quite old then.

[Mr. B]

It's safe to say the M8 in Glasgow is the busiest Motorway in Scotland and one of the busiest in the UK, it has the busiest River crossing in Europe, the Kingston Bridge carrying over 180,000 vehicles on average every day on Ten Lanes.
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q95/The_Talking_orange/prev27.jpg

South of the bridge there is a section with 16 lanes

[Jeroen669]

It's safe to say the M8 in Glasgow is the busiest Motorway in Scotland and one of the busiest in the UK, it has the busiest River crossing in Europe, the Kingston Bridge carrying over 180,000 vehicles on average every day on Ten Lanes.

Don't know if it is europe busiest, but at least I know the Van Brienoordbridge in Rotterdam is much busier with over 250.000 vehicles a day, on 12 lanes. ;)

[Mr. B]

Well I'll settle for it being one of the busiest.:)

It's certainly the busiest bridge in the UK